[Archived] Climbing The Floodlights

[Gav]

Did anyone climb up the floodlights at Ewood?

Talking to my dad, who I believe slightly embellishes the truth regarding his 40yrs following the Rovers:

Took the home end at Millwall in the 70’s

Walked into Burnley town centre every time we played them hitting a big drum to let the locals know we’re here…..

Burned down the gates to the away end at Swindon in an FA Cup game.

Turned Norwich blue and white, even painting the daffodils blue and white…….etc etc

He told me several times that it used to be the done thing to climb the floodlights at the old Ewood.

Just wondering if any of the older posters on here fancied the climb up the floodlights or saw anyone else taking up the challenge.

Myth or fact?

[Steve Moss]

My grandfather used to tell me that as a child he had to walk ten miles to school. With no shoes. In the snow. Uphill. Both ways.

[philipl]

Did anyone climb up the floodlights at Ewood? I can remember seeing kids at the first level on the floodlight at the Blackburn End/Riverside corner until it got wrapped in barbed wire

Talking to my dad, who I believe slightly embellishes the truth regarding his 40yrs following the Rovers:

Took the home end at Millwall in the 70’s

Walked into Burnley town centre every time we played them hitting a big drum to let the locals know we’re here…..

Burned down the gates to the away end at Swindon in an FA Cup game.

Turned Norwich blue and white, even painting the daffodils blue and white…….etc etc I remember talking to an old Norwich supporter who had an abiding dislike of Rovers because of what our fans did in the 5th round FA Cup tie in 1966.

He told me several times that it used to be the done thing to climb the floodlights at the old Ewood.

Just wondering if any of the older posters on here fancied the climb up the floodlights or saw anyone else taking up the challenge.

Myth or fact?

[1864roverite]

Guilty as charged m'laud.

Climbed up the old floodlight in the Riverside versus Oldham many many moons ago (back in 1979). Did it for a bet because the game was so poor and we were losing 2-0 at the time. Got an almighty right hander of a copper for my troubles !!

Not only that ripped my top on some barbed wire and got a slap off the old dear when I got home.

A bad bad day at Ewood Park

[cletus]

My great uncle was a big lad & once got properly wedged in the Riverside turnstiles (when it was a proper stand with terrace underneath it).

He was stuck fast & they couldn`t get him out. Eventually they managed to free him (i don`t know the details) After that, the police would open the big main gate every home game to let him in. He stood on the same spot on the Riverside for nearly 50yrs.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Did anyone climb up the floodlights at Ewood?

Talking to my dad, who I believe slightly embellishes the truth regarding his 40yrs following the Rovers:

Took the home end at Millwall in the 70’s

God bless your dad Gav.

[Gav]

God bless your dad Gav.

I know SG

[Fife Rover]

Did anyone climb up the floodlights at Ewood?

Talking to my dad, who I believe slightly embellishes the truth regarding his 40yrs following the Rovers:

Took the home end at Millwall in the 70's

Walked into Burnley town centre every time we played them hitting a big drum to let the locals know we're here…..

Burned down the gates to the away end at Swindon in an FA Cup game.

Turned Norwich blue and white, even painting the daffodils blue and white…….etc etc

He told me several times that it used to be the done thing to climb the floodlights at the old Ewood.

Just wondering if any of the older posters on here fancied the climb up the floodlights or saw anyone else taking up the challenge.

Myth or fact?

Not wishing to be rude Gav, but it would appear that your Dad suffers from severe delusional problems; either that or he is aiming for the BS World Championship title. I have never heard (or read of) anywhere at any time any of the exploits you listed, and I am sure that if any one of them had actually happened it would very soon have become public knowledge around the Blackburn area.

[Gav]

Not wishing to be rude Gav, but it would appear that your Dad suffers from severe delusional problems; either that or he is aiming for the BS World Championship title. I have never heard (or read of) anywhere at any time any of the exploits you listed, and I am sure that if any one of them had actually happened it would very soon have become public knowledge around the Blackburn area.

Climbing the floolights did happen, if you read the thread.

Norwich in the late 60's did happen, if you read the thread

Also if you read the thread, I did mention my father "slightly embellishes the truth"

Please read the thread......

[PAFELL]

Not wishing to be rude Gav, but it would appear that your Dad suffers from severe delusional problems; either that or he is aiming for the BS World Championship title. I have never heard (or read of) anywhere at any time any of the exploits you listed, and I am sure that if any one of them had actually happened it would very soon have become public knowledge around the Blackburn area.

People often climbed the floodlights - lower part of course - before the ground was rebuilt durings Jack Walkers time. often in the corner between the BBE and the riverside. Eventually they put barbed wire around to stop it as well as a number of Police. Possible the reason it wasn't discussed much in the blackburn town area, was because it was a common event.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

They were some of the best floodlights in the country those at Ewood,grand and imposing.

Now then,which club did we sell them off to when the ground was being redeveloped?............

[T4E]

I know someone who likes to climb up on the roof of the JW stand.

[nick123]

They were some of the best floodlights in the country those at Ewood,grand and imposing.

Now then,which club did we sell them off to when the ground was being redeveloped?............

Seem to remember it was someone up scotland, but Blackpool keeps popping in my head?

[berkshireblue]

Gav

I was at Swindon in the fa cup when jimmy quinn scored against us and we won 2-1

There was a fire at the exit was it your Dad? and some west country nob head jumped on our mini bus back doors at traffic lights, we drove off with one door open and him swinging on it like a monkey, until one of the lads

smacked him that hard he fell off

I was about 13yrs so scary stuff

[Gav]

Gav

I was at Swindon in the fa cup when jimmy quinn scored against us and we won 2-1

There was a fire at the exit was it your Dad? and some west country nob head jumped on our mini bus back doors at traffic lights, we drove off with one door open and him swinging on it like a monkey, until one of the lads

smacked him that hard he fell off

I was about 13yrs so scary stuff

Doubt it he was late 60's and 70's to be honest.

The FA cup game was one of those games where every idiot from Blackburn seemed to attend from what I’ve heard. Trouble all day by all accounts.

[brian_gallagher85]

I know someone who likes to climb up on the roof of the JW stand.

And post pictures of his antics?

[Claytons Left Boot]

Climbed up the old floodlight in the Riverside versus Oldham many many moons ago (back in 1979). Did it for a bet because the game was so poor and we were losing 2-0 at the time. Got an almighty right hander of a copper for my troubles !!

Hey 1864, hope the lads chanting on Reebok railway station aren't reading this!

That cup game at Swindon was a great day out. Around a thousand Rovers fans descended on Cheltenham on the way home and stayed all night, as we did. A bit posh that place, they didn't know what hit them with hordes of booze filled Lancastrians taking over.

[OhmiBRFC]

No, we saw it. Found it quite ironic to be honest.

[den]

I went to that Norwich game Gav. Rovers had a lot of hooligan fans at that time and the Norwich game saw them at their peak. They caused a lot of damage in the City centre and there was a lot of bad publicity surrounding that.

Rovers also objected to the referee taking the replay as well, after what they thought was a poor performance by him at Norwich. The FA stood by him though and he reffed the rovers to a replay win at Ewood. 4-1 if I remember correctly? Or was it 2-0? Blimey it's 43 years ago!

[Ozz]

Doubt it he was late 60's and 70's to be honest.

The FA cup game was one of those games where every idiot from Blackburn seemed to attend from what I’ve heard. Trouble all day by all accounts.

Bloody great day out. Never seem such a high percentage of an away crowd so drunk. In my top 10 away days of all time.

[doctorryan]

Not wishing to be rude Gav, but it would appear that your Dad suffers from severe delusional problems or he is aiming for the BS World Championship title..............

Nah, my father sewed that title up years ago.

[PAFELL]

I went to that Norwich game Gav. Rovers had a lot of hooligan fans at that time and the Norwich game saw them at their peak. They caused a lot of damage in the City centre and there was a lot of bad publicity surrounding that.

Rovers also objected to the referee taking the replay as well, after what they thought was a poor performance by him at Norwich. The FA stood by him though and he reffed the rovers to a replay win at Ewood. 4-1 if I remember correctly? Or was it 2-0? Blimey it's 43 years ago!

Was there not a game at Ewood Park v sheff utd - quite a few years ago, where some fans turned a few of the away supporters coaches on there sides.

[Gav]

I went to that Norwich game Gav. Rovers had a lot of hooligan fans at that time and the Norwich game saw them at their peak. They caused a lot of damage in the City centre and there was a lot of bad publicity surrounding that.

Rovers also objected to the referee taking the replay as well, after what they thought was a poor performance by him at Norwich. The FA stood by him though and he reffed the rovers to a replay win at Ewood. 4-1 if I remember correctly? Or was it 2-0? Blimey it's 43 years ago!

Bloke I used to work with said the first sight that greeted him as he arrived in Norwich was a bubble car on its roof.

Set the tone for the day apparently.

[den]

Bloke I used to work with said the first sight that greeted him as he arrived in Norwich was a bubble car on its roof.

Set the tone for the day apparently.

I don't remember any specific instances, but to this day I remember being ashamed of what went on. Rovers fans were never like that before that era and I don't think they've been as bad as that since.

BTW, we went on Cliff Owen's coach from Chorley to Norwich - pre motorway days. It was a hell of a long way then.

[Gav]

I don't remember any specific instances, but to this day I remember being ashamed of what went on. Rovers fans were never like that before that era and I don't think they've been as bad as that since.

BTW, we went on Cliff Owen's coach from Chorley to Norwich - pre motorway days. It was a hell of a long way then.

Plenty of Rovers away trips used to start on Friday night by all accounts because of the lack of motorways. I believe penny street in Blackburn was the place to catch the coach after chucking out time, must have been a fun journey with 50 odd drunken blokes, NOT!